I've been thinking about what nations and cultures might be around in this area at this time - initially with regards to minotaur history, but others as well. Anyway after my first pass through the Savage Coast and Orc's Head Peninsula boock, here is the timeline I managed to piece together. I some cases there were dates gives, but in others I had to guess or estimate the dates. In those cases I've enclosed the events in [] and added NOTES when appropriate.

Timeline

BC 4000: Blackmoor begins its rise to glory.

BC 3400: Oltecs move into the area, fleeing from Azcan agressors. At the time of the Oltecs' arrival, few (if any) sentient beings inhabited the area, though a few tortles or manscorpions from the central coast may have lived nearby.

Tortles have scattered settlements and are easily dominated. They have lived in the area for 4000 years (since BC 8000).
Manscorpions are savages who live in small bands and occasionally prey upon their neighbors. They are brutal and barbaric, but ultimately scatter into dozens of small, ineffectual bands.

Aranea are concentrated in Belphemon, their capital, beneath which lies a vast cavern system. Their civilization is thriving.
Wallaras flourish in their small city of Risilvar. They walk side by side with the spirits that created them, and are in tune with the land, seeing themselves as protectors of nature. Because they are so close to their immortal patrons, they learn much about the multiverse.

[Phanatons are forest predators that feed on large insects, lizards, and small mammals. Immortals give them a natural agility that make the phanatons well suited to hunting dangerous creatures like poisonous snakes, scorpions, and spiders. Among these, the latter are by far the most common prey in the region.

It is fashionable for affluent aranea to capture and tame young phanaton as pets. No aranea in their right minds would otherwise venture deep into the northwestern end of the Orc’s Head Peninsula.

NOTE: No date is given with this event, but I’m placing it at the same time as the aranea and wallara civilizations are flourishing]

BC 3000: The Great Rain of Fire.

[The ee’aar migrate from Davania in order to reach the Arm of the Immortals. Rumors persist that it is to enable them to find a homeland where no one could find them. Most die in the attempt. A lone hunter Aeryl reaches a magical spire and enters the Realm of Faerie. She lives there for so long that wings grow upon her back. When she returns to her people she passes this trait on to her descendants until one day all ee’aar have wings.

NOTE: No date is given with this event, but since many civilizations made migrations after the GRoF, I am placing the event in this period. There is also some sentiment to find a hidden homeland, which might also suggest that the ee’aar were being persecuted by some other unknown entity (possibly Adhuza?) At this point not all ee’aar will have wings – that won’t happen for several more centuries at least.

NOTE: Another possibility is that these elves might be a part of one of the Vulcania emigrant events, which would move this event to BC 2800 or BC 2500 respectively. They would have left the main migratory force for some reason – possibly the perceived persecutors? I don’t think this should effect the overall history of the region.]

[The Aranea flee to the caverns under their capital of Belphemon, making them their home there for over a century in order to avoid the fallout from the Great Rain of Fire.

Like the Aranea, the Wallaras flee to caves located under Risilvar to escape the Great Rain of Fire.

NOTE: Text is unclear when and why both of these civilizations lived underground for a time. However I am surmising that like other nations across the world of Mystara, these civilizations sought shelter underground after the catastrophe that destroyed Blackmoor. Because of the great distance from that disaster, they may have been able to emerge from their shelters much sooner than races closer to the blast (such as those in the Known World). It is possible that they only remained underground for a few hundred years.]

[Lupins and rakastas compete for territorial control of the Yazak steppes.

NOTE: No dates are associated with this event. The ancestral lands of the lupins and rakastas would have been occupied in BC 1700 when goblinoids invaded their territory, but the length of time they inhabited the area before that is unknown. This could reach as far back as before the Great Rain of Fire, but I think it likely that these creatures were in the area at least before the elven migration arrived. They would have had to find ways to deal with living on the steppes with the dangers of radiance fallout after the GRoF.]

BC 2800: Ilsundal leads elven separatists from Vulcania in an attempt to return to the old ways of their ancestors. Ilsundal has also vowed to find as many of his lost brethren as he can in order to bring them back into his fold. He sets off on a great migration.

BC 2500: A second set of separatists leave Vulcania in search of a new homeland. They will meet up with Ilsundal’s group on the Savage Coast in BC 2300.

BC 2400: Vulcania explodes, destroying the remnants of elven civilization there and sending great gouts of ash into the atmosphere to block out the sun for years.

Enduks are created on the Arm of the Immortals when Gildesh, a herald of Idu/Ixion, renders a great service to his patron.

BC 2250: Ilsundal's elves cross the Great Waste, migrating from the west. The Sheyallia clan turns south onto the Serpent Peninsula, settling in the forest there. The Meditor and Verdier clans sail east in search of better lands.

BC 2000: Gildesh has enough enduk followers to found a kingdom in the western part of the Orc's Head Peninsula. It is called Nimmur, which means the homeland. The Enduk’s first cities are built.

The aranea start to disappear, their web cities in the forests replaced by isolated towers inhabited by mages of elven and human form who keep lizard men as servants and slaves (these are the ancestors of the shazaks). These folk began calling their land Herath.

[Minoides, corrupted by greed and violence, betrays Gildesh over a holy treasure and murders him. With his dying breath, Gildesh curses his murderer and his treacherous lackeys. They lose their wings, and flee Nimmur to become the minotaurs of the world.
Gildesh is not truly dead, just banished to another plane by the death of his body. Idu suggests that he give his followers time to learn and grow on their own and Gildesh agrees to return only every third century.

NOTE: This event does not have a date, but I’m assigning it here. There are enough enduks now for a portion of them to rebel, and it still leaves enough time for minotaurs to journey to Taymora and integrate into that society before it is destroyed.
This will also mean that Gildesh will appear to his enduks another 5 times before their civilization is destroyed by the manscorpions in BC 500.]

[The enduks come into contact with the ee’aar and establish friendly relations.
NOTE: No time period is given for this event, but I’m assuming that it must happen sometime after the enduks have established a civilization of their own.]

Some unwitting araneans were caught in their natural form and taken back to Jibarú. Amazed phanatons later discovered "humans" among their catches, and not knowing what to do with them-certainly, they would not eat them!-released them. Phanatons came to believe these spiders to be the souls of very evil beings. A prevailing suspicion among the phanatons is that the people of Herath harbour evil spirits among them.

BC 1700: Tribes of goblinoids arrive in the Yazak Steppes.

BC 1300: Both the elves and Oltecs are decimated by hordes of goblinoids sweeping through the eastern Savage Coast. Lupin and rakasta tribes are forced to relocate to the central part of the Savage Coast.

BC 1000: King Milen leads seafaring Traldar across the Sea of Dread and travels far upriver once reaching Davania. There they form the new nation of Milenia.

BC 700: Nithian explorers move into the area occupied by the manscorpions, known as Sohktars, and after coming into conflict with them, drove the Sohktars out. The Sohktars united their small bands into tribes and moved west (eventually reaching the lands of Nimmur).

BC 500: Mages of Herath lash out at the Wallaras, destroying their civilization. At the end of their war they release their shazak slaves into the Bayou.

The Manscorpions reach the land of Nimmur where they are welcomed by the enduks. In return the manscorpions help the enduks fight off an orcish invasion from the Dark Jungles. Once the battle is won, the manscorpions (who have been corrupted by Manlil/Atzanteotle) betray the enduks and conquer Nimmur, and are cursed by Ixion/Idu. This occurs during one of the 300 year periods when Gildesh is absent from Nimmur and his followers.

The ee’aar, who have long been friends with the enduks, help them escape from the swarms of manscorpions that are overrunning their cities. They carry the enduks back to their own homeland (on the Arm of the Immortals).

[NOTE: By this point in time, many if not all, ee’aar have their wings.]

Nithians disappear from their colonies to be replaced by dwarves arriving from the east.

The phanatons and shazaks begin to rise from complete savagery forming tribal groups and semi-permanent settlements.

Goblins, orcs, gnolls, and related creatures grow in power.

BC 450: Dwarves arrive along the eastern coast and build small colonies.

BC 150: Tortle civilization rises on the central coast.

AC 1: The first Emperor of Thyatis is crowned.

AC 10: Early lupins were nomads, tribes of hunters who roamed the Yazak Steppes and the southern central plains. Then, the goblinoids of the Yazak Steppes captured much of the lupins' hunting grounds, scattering many tribes. About 1,000 years ago, five tribes regrouped to the south and formed an alliance to defend their lands against the goblinoids; they are hailed as the founders of Renardy. Over the next 10 centuries, the tribes developed into typical medieval dominions under the authority of a king, who built his capital on the site of an old lupin camp. This site became the city of Louvines, on the Dream River.

AC 100: Another horde of goblins moves through the region, wiping out the tortle cities and driving the lupins and rakastas west where they came into conflict with Herath. In response, Herath created the gurrash to serve as warriors. After the gurrash are dumped into the swamp they displace the shazak who are motivated to form a stronger civilization.

AC 560: An influx of Traldar arrive, and set up colonies along the coast. Some dwarves and elves already live in these areas.

AC 500: Northern barbarians are driven from Hule to the Savage Coast. Some elves and dwarves already live in these areas.
Clerics direct a purge against the sleep inducing plants of the Yazak steppes, systematically destroying them and scorching the earth. Infuriated goblinoids launch an all out attack on what they view as lupin aggressors. In return the lupins build fortresses and a great wall (le Grand Mur) to defend themselves and hold their ground.

Humans and demi-humans of Bellayne are slain by a mysterious plague, and the nation invites roving bands of rakasta to join them. Many rakasta settle down, but others maintain their nomadic ways.

AC 750: It is because of the gurrash that the shazak tribes eventually united behind a single war leader almost 250 years ago.

Savage CoastRisilvar
This is a city state of wallara, and was in existence both before and after the Great Rain of Fire. The wallara retreated into caves beneath their city shortly after the disaster, but emerged soon afterward (within a period of a few centuries).

Areth
The aranea of Areth existed both before and after the Great Rain of Fire. They retreated to a vast cave network underneath Belphemon, their capital, for centuries after the catastrophe. The phanatons, savage near animals, live nearby in the forests of Jibaru.

Tribes of Gildesh
The shedu Gildesh and his newly created followers make their homes here. It will be another 300 years before his followers grow large enough to build their first cities and found the nation of Nimmur.

Lupin Tribes
Lupins and rakastas roam about the Yazak steppes.

Rakasta Tribes
Lupins and rakastas roam about the Yazak steppes.

Tortles
Tortle villages dot the land however they have no kingdom of their own.

Oltecs
The Oltecs in the area would have been stragglers from the Azcan/Oltec wars. Without the benefit of underground shelters, much of their population died out after the Great Rain of Fire.

Dravish

Elves
BC 2500 migration - the two migrations meet up at this time period, but there could be communities of stragglers strewn along their path of migration.

Arm of the ImmortalsAeryl
The winged ee’aar hail from the nation of Aeryl on the Arm of the Immortals. Many of them appear to be normal elves, but several family lines claiming to be descendants of their nation’s patroness have wings.

Elves
BC 2800 migration.

Varellyans
These would be the ancestors of Nastoreth. They don't come into play until much later (circa AC 400), but perhaps whatever they found in their Holy Forest (some OB artifact?) might play a role in the history of Aeryl.

Great WastesSohktar
The manscorpions are little more than varied savage tribes that fight amongst themselves.

Serpent Peninsula
???

Last edited by Chimpman on Mon May 17, 2010 6:34 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Thanks. One thing I was surprised that I did not see was any mention of Blackmoor or the Great Rain of Fire. However 2 civilizations mention underground or cavern dwellings (the aranea under Belphemon, and the wallara under Risilvar). My assumption is that they fled there after the GRoF, but I'd like to get the opinion of others on this matter as well.

Also, I didn't take this time line out as far as I could have (ignoring most of the Savage Baronies history).

This is good stuff, and I've been working on and off with Savage Coastal history (also largely in regards to minotaurs/enduks, but others as well). I'll see if we can collaborate and come up with something more comprehensive.

Chimpman wrote:Manscorpions are savages who live in small bands and occasionally prey upon their neighbors. They are brutal and barbaric, but ultimately scatter into dozens of small, ineffectual bands.

I'll have to double check to be certain, but IIRC, the Manscorpions were initially primarily from the Great Wastes/Plain of Fire region, and didn't end up migrating to the Savage Coast (specifically the western SC) until after the Sokhtari curse by Ixion (and even then, it was only those Manscorpions that were cursed, which not all were). This would also seem to fit with the Manscorpion temple from module X4.

Re: The Aranea and Phanatons. Per module M5: Talons of Night, the aranea were the result of (essentially) eugenics experiments by the Planar Spider followers of Arachne Prime on the Isle of Dawn- crossbreeding between Planar Spiders and non-intelligent giant spiders (eeww!). The phanatons were brought with the planar spiders from their outer planar home as servants (later escaping into the wild).

Bruce Heard's later developments with the Savage Coast more or less retconned this (I can't recall how explicit he was about it), with the aranea and phanatons seemingly emerging naturally in the Savage Coast. I don't know if it needs to be addressed or not (or left to individual DMs to fill in the blanks), but I've always simply had it that the SC aranea split from the IoD aranea/planar spiders due to religious schisms (being primarily followers of Arachne Prime's chief enemy Korotiku), and either brought some of the Phanatons with them, or else the Phanatons migrated on their own accord.

NOTE: Another possibility is that these elves might be a part of one of the Vulcania emigrant events, which would move this event to BC 2800 or BC 2500 respectively. They would have left the main migratory force for some reason – possibly the perceived persecutors? I don’t think this should effect the overall history of the region.

I always assumed the Ee'aar to have been one of the clans that remained/returned to the SC as part of the elvish migrations. IIRC, one of the migrations actually traveled up the Arm of the Immortals (Ilsundal's first migration, I believe), and just assumed them to have been a part of that group.

BC 2000: Gildesh has enough enduk followers to found a kingdom in the western part of the Orc's Head Peninsula. It is called Nimmur, which means the homeland. The Enduk’s first cities are built.

The enduks come into contact with the ee’aar and establish friendly relations.
NOTE: No time period is given for this event, but I’m assuming that it must happen sometime after the enduks have established a civilization of their own.

This would be about right; the Ee'aar assisted the Enduks in fleeing from the Sokhtari invasion after all, and thus relations were likely established well before then.

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Cthulhudrew wrote:This is good stuff, and I've been working on and off with Savage Coastal history (also largely in regards to minotaurs/enduks, but others as well). I'll see if we can collaborate and come up with something more comprehensive.

Thanks Cthulhudrew - I'll be looking forward to seeing what you have!

Cthulhudrew wrote:

Chimpman wrote:Manscorpions are savages who live in small bands and occasionally prey upon their neighbors. They are brutal and barbaric, but ultimately scatter into dozens of small, ineffectual bands.

I'll have to double check to be certain, but IIRC, the Manscorpions were initially primarily from the Great Wastes/Plain of Fire region, and didn't end up migrating to the Savage Coast (specifically the western SC) until after the Sokhtari curse by Ixion (and even then, it was only those Manscorpions that were cursed, which not all were). This would also seem to fit with the Manscorpion temple from module X4.

Don't have a lot of time - am running out of the house now. I think you're right about the location, however I'm pretty sure that the Nithians drove the Sokhtari out of their ancestral lands before they were cursed. It's only after arriving in Nimmur, learning from the enduks, and helping them fight their war against the orcs of the Dark Jungle, that they finally betray their hosts and are cursed by Ixion (circa BC 500 IIRC).

Will post more later.

Last edited by Chimpman on Mon May 17, 2010 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Chimpman wrote:Don't have a lot of time - am running out of the house now. I think you're right about the location, however I'm pretty sure that the Nithians drove the Sokhtari out of their ancestral lands before they were cursed. It's only after arriving in Nimmur, learning from the enduks, and helping them fight their war against the orcs of the Dark Jungle, that they finally betray their hosts and are cursed by Ixion (circa BC 500 IIRC).

Looks like you're right about that; I'd been mixing up my history re: the curse and the migration west. On the other hand, I'd say that the Nithians didn't entirely drive out all the manscorpions (or at least, didn't drive them all entirely westwards), as we know of at least one manscorpion enclave still extant in the Great Waste (Bronkhaat, in western Graakhalia). I'd posit that only the Sokhtari who fled to Nimmur and overthrew the enduk civilization there are cursed by Ixion.

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Cthulhudrew wrote:Re: The Aranea and Phanatons. Per module M5: Talons of Night, the aranea were the result of (essentially) eugenics experiments by the Planar Spider followers of Arachne Prime on the Isle of Dawn- crossbreeding between Planar Spiders and non-intelligent giant spiders (eeww!). The phanatons were brought with the planar spiders from their outer planar home as servants (later escaping into the wild).

Yup, I remember our previous discussions.

Cthulhudrew wrote:Bruce Heard's later developments with the Savage Coast more or less retconned this (I can't recall how explicit he was about it), with the aranea and phanatons seemingly emerging naturally in the Savage Coast.

I don't think he's explicit at all. I have to find the quote again (been searching for 10 minutes with no luck), but I remember reading something that basically said "no one knows where they came from."

Cthulhudrew wrote:I don't know if it needs to be addressed or not (or left to individual DMs to fill in the blanks), but I've always simply had it that the SC aranea split from the IoD aranea/planar spiders due to religious schisms (being primarily followers of Arachne Prime's chief enemy Korotiku), and either brought some of the Phanatons with them, or else the Phanatons migrated on their own accord.

I'm assuming you mean IoDawn aranea (as opposed to IoDread aranea - how do they fit in anyway?). Anyway, what you're saying makes sense. I find it particularly interesting that aranea go to such lengths to hide themselves. What are they hiding from? There must be something. Most of the texts I've read suggest that new human immigrants would have destroyed the aranea if they knew their true form, but this seems like a pretty weak excuse. I bet we could come up with a better (read more interesting) back story as to why they need to hide.

Here's another interesting thought. The aranea hide themselves around BC 2000... this is also the same time that they take shazak slaves. We've been talking in other threads that the creation of the shazak could very well be the result of unearthing ancient carnifex lore. Could the aranea shape changing abilities (and their reasons for wanting to hide themselves) also stem from carnifex lore. Perhaps they unleashed something - some outer being or other - when they created the shazak, and then had to hide themselves from its unblinking stare. Not sure if we could expand on this idea, but I really like the idea of bringing the carnifex and the OBs into the story somehow.

Cthulhudrew wrote:

NOTE: Another possibility is that these elves might be a part of one of the Vulcania emigrant events, which would move this event to BC 2800 or BC 2500 respectively. They would have left the main migratory force for some reason – possibly the perceived persecutors? I don’t think this should effect the overall history of the region.

I always assumed the Ee'aar to have been one of the clans that remained/returned to the SC as part of the elvish migrations. IIRC, one of the migrations actually traveled up the Arm of the Immortals (Ilsundal's first migration, I believe), and just assumed them to have been a part of that group.

Yeah, this works for me. Again the ee'aar are trying to hide from something (or someone). Something must have happened during the migration that would cause them to seek such a hiding place. Could the migration (perhaps specifically the ee'aar clan) have unearthed more carnifex lore on their journey?

Cthulhudrew wrote:Looks like you're right about that; I'd been mixing up my history re: the curse and the migration west. On the other hand, I'd say that the Nithians didn't entirely drive out all the manscorpions (or at least, didn't drive them all entirely westwards), as we know of at least one manscorpion enclave still extant in the Great Waste (Bronkhaat, in western Graakhalia). I'd posit that only the Sokhtari who fled to Nimmur and overthrew the enduk civilization there are cursed by Ixion.

Chimpman wrote:Yeah, this works for me. Again the ee'aar are trying to hide from something (or someone). Something must have happened during the migration that would cause them to seek such a hiding place. Could the migration (perhaps specifically the ee'aar clan) have unearthed more carnifex lore on their journey?

Well, I think the work I did on Nastoreth (at the very bottom of the Arm of the Immortals) might come into play here. Not sure if I posted it here or not. Will check.

You know, the Carnifex legacy is really turning into those heavy, inconveniently shaped stones that turn up when you do some landscaping. You know, the kind that requires a backhoe to dig out.

Chimpman wrote:Here's another interesting thought. The aranea hide themselves around BC 2000... this is also the same time that they take shazak slaves. We've been talking in other threads that the creation of the shazak could very well be the result of unearthing ancient carnifex lore. Could the aranea shape changing abilities (and their reasons for wanting to hide themselves) also stem from carnifex lore. Perhaps they unleashed something - some outer being or other - when they created the shazak, and then had to hide themselves from its unblinking stare. Not sure if we could expand on this idea, but I really like the idea of bringing the carnifex and the OBs into the story somehow.

Yeah, this sounds like a nice touch. And just to compound the problem, I think it would be appropriate to have the aranea as being somewhat paranoid and insecure when out in the open by nature. Thus, they prefer to have 'their back covered' in a manner. They like crevices and camouflage, and knowing that nothing can come at them from behind or from above. This could be used as a racial behavioral model, perhaps inherited by their ancestral non-intelligent giant spider side.

Actually, this helps explain the aranea drive for a servitor race; the slaves can be the ones working out in the open, and not themselves.

Chimpman wrote:Yeah, this works for me. Again the ee'aar are trying to hide from something (or someone). Something must have happened during the migration that would cause them to seek such a hiding place. Could the migration (perhaps specifically the ee'aar clan) have unearthed more carnifex lore on their journey?

Well, I think the work I did on Nastoreth (at the very bottom of the Arm of the Immortals) might come into play here. Not sure if I posted it here or not. Will check.

Thanks for bringing this up (and posting it)! At first I thought you were suggesting another nation on the Arm during this time period, but after reading the Nastoreth thread I understand what you're getting at. Something unwholesome (to say the least) would lurk in the Holy Forest, and it's quite possible that the ee'aar stumbled upon it by accident and fled from it.

Seer of Yhog wrote:You know, the Carnifex legacy is really turning into those heavy, inconveniently shaped stones that turn up when you do some landscaping. You know, the kind that requires a backhoe to dig out.

Makes life interesting though, don't it?

Hugin wrote:Yeah, this sounds like a nice touch. And just to compound the problem, I think it would be appropriate to have the aranea as being somewhat paranoid and insecure when out in the open by nature. Thus, they prefer to have 'their back covered' in a manner. They like crevices and camouflage, and knowing that nothing can come at them from behind or from above. This could be used as a racial behavioral model, perhaps inherited by their ancestral non-intelligent giant spider side.

I'm wondering if the aranea stumbled upon the same thing during their earlier migration that the ee'aar would later come across. Perhaps the aranea were the ones who originally "woke up" the horror. Maybe they managed to abscond with some amount of Lore before the thing was fully awake. By the time the ee'aar got there, it's a different story however. Whatever the aranea had disturbed would be more vigilant the next time someone passes through.

Then of course, by the time the Varellyans get there they have absolutely no chance of escape.

Hugin wrote:Actually, this helps explain the aranea drive for a servitor race; the slaves can be the ones working out in the open, and not themselves.